Sure Florida has hurricanes, but you have -32 degrees

Tweets are flying this morning with the hashtag #itssocold as the northern part of the U.S. battles biting chill.

It may be no surprise that South Floridians are taking note of the difference in temperatures between upstate New York and the Florida Keys.

Even the National Weather Service office in Key West got into the act, pointing out the 105-degree difference between Key West and Watertown, N.Y.

Air temperatures as of 6 am ET in CONUS. Warmest location: Key West (73F)Coldest location: Watertown, NY (-32F)A 105-degree difference. If you are traveling, check https://t.co/9SeUgK62zF at your destination as a bitter cold continues from the Plains to Great Lakes & the NE. pic.twitter.com/Q7Bl9KX4jY

As high pressure dominates the Northeast behind a Yuletide tempest that dumped 5 feet of snow in Erie, Pa., peak temperatures today in New York City will remain in the frigid 20s. Wind chill values of between 0 degrees and minus-5 were expected overnight into this morning.

Cities as far south as Nashville and Atlanta will feel temperatures more than 20 degrees below what’s normal for this time of year. Times Square could be as cold as 11 degrees Sunday night, New Year’s Eve.

“People will need to bundle up with all their winter gear in order to stay warm,” said AccuWeather senior meteorologist Dan Pydynowski.

Forecast models were still in disagreement Wednesday about what kind of chill South Florida may feel from the cold blast.

The official forecast calls for a cool-down Monday night to 58 degrees with a high Wednesday of just 67 in West Palm Beach.

“That’s a heat wave up here,” said Charlotee Steria, manger of the Steelhead Lodge on the Salmon River in Pulaski, N.Y. “I don’t even know if we get to that over the summer.”

Storm 2016

About the Author

Kim Miller is the weather reporter for The Palm Beach Post.

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